


Safe Here

by flickawhip



Category: Strictly Come Dancing RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 18:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5754508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flickawhip/pseuds/flickawhip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. </p><p>From A Prompt. </p><p>Anton's POV. </p><p>Not Real.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe Here

She breaks so instantly that I don't even know what causes it... and then, she begins to cry. Her salty eyes told me stories, that made my heart weep. I wanted to wrap her in a blanket, and tell her she was safe forever - so I did. I stopped the music, gathered her close, wrapping her in the same blanket that we always used for our lunch breaks, pulling her in and sheltering her, letting her cry, whispering the same promise I've had in my heart from the moment I saw her. 'You are safe here, forever, safe with me, safe and sound and loved.' I didn't expect her to tell my why she was crying, that wasn't what I wanted from her, I just wanted her safe, and perhaps eventually happy again, the way she had been from the start of the show, from the second we met. She means everything to me and in that moment, that horrible, painful moment, I wanted nothing more than to promise her my life, my love and my protection. So I did. I promised to be with her forever if she wanted me, if she needed me. I promised to love her, as a friend, as a lover, as a husband, whichever she needed at the time, whichever she wanted at any time, and to protect her. Not just from whoever it was who had hurt her enough that she cried, but whatever was coming from the judges, from the public, from the press. I would protect her and love her, completely. I always have and I always will want to protect her, to love her. That day was the first day of training for our performance of a Rhumba and yet, as I stood, cradling her, stroking that incredibly soft, almost silken, hair and her back, I knew, no matter what we had to do to change the emotion she was feeling from pain to pleasure in the dance, I'd do it. I'd even risk leaving the show. She was more important. She was the one thing I wanted most from the series and I have her, I had her, and I was not going to hurt her again, not for anything. We change the song, day one, we can afford to change it all, so we do. She is alone now to start, beautiful, strong, brave and stunningly sure of herself. The storm has passed and she moves like it's the only thing in the world, just her and me and the music. It is easy to love her, to show it, now. The dance progresses and finally, finally, she smiles that same incredible, captivating smile and my heart leaps. She is sure of herself now. Beautiful and strong and mine. I know the second the dance finishes, she is mine. We take the week as it comes, sometimes we run the whole thing, sometimes only moments and yet I know we have this one down. We can't not. The dance of love, of seduction, of romance. It is our dance, our story. The show comes, we do well, we are safe and we are through to the next week and yet, even if we hadn't been I'd have been happy. It's that day I promise myself, no matter what, I will propose. We get through week after week, then, suddenly, the final. I can't pretend I wasn't overjoyed to finally get to the final, no matter what happened I was happy already and yet, there we are, in the final. The dance we are given is bound to screw at least one of us up and yet, there are less mistakes, she does well, she is smiling and happy and keeps going and I know then what I will always know. No matter what, we are happy. We are in the final, it is enough. Winning is a dream, a dream in reach but a dream. The show-dance goes perfectly, she looks just as stunning as ever and yet, when the judges give her feedback one is un-measurably rude. She knows, instantly, why I spoke before he could. Of course he was only going to be negative. Still, she shakes it off, seems proud and happy and that is what matters. We change but, as we stand in place it is clear what is going to happen. We won't win, we won't be final three and yet... I can't bring myself to care too much. She is radiantly beautiful and happy, that is what matters and that is what I have. Then I know, I've had the ring secreted away for a while now and it hits me that now, when we should be saying goodbye, now is the time to propose. So I do. I kneel, I propose and... as if in a dream, she says yes. She is mine, for life. My wife. My love. My world. My Katie. The music is soft as I rise, slipping the ring onto her finger and, not caring that we will make the show run late, I kiss her. I don't stop kissing her until I'm sure our time is up and even then, as we move away, I kiss her again. We wait, we dance and we enjoy the rest of the show together, Katie curled against my side as she will be for the rest of our lives. We dance again at the after-party. Then, when the season is over, we marry. She becomes officially mine. Mrs Derham-DuBeke, although we will always be known as DerBeke to the fans. Our fans. Our support network. Those days are in the past now, it is the new year and yet, as I wake to her every morning I know that, whoever hurt her is gone and she is mine, she is safe and she is always to be treasured and loved.


End file.
